Nailbrush

ABSTRACT

A brush ( 1 ) is described, in particular for applying fluid products on nails such as drugs or cosmetics, comprising at least one plurality of flexible blades ( 3 ), such blades ( 3 ) of a first plurality being mutually radially arranged along at least one first circular perimeter (C), such blades ( 3 ) being radially surrounded by at least one perimeter containing rib ( 5 ).

The present invention refers to an improved nailbrush.

Classical brushes are known in the art, which allow applying on thenails a fluid product, such as an enamel or a drug, contained inside arelated bottle, such brush being usually integral with its screwablecover so that at least its bristles remain immersed into the fluid whensuch cover screwed onto such bottle.

In order to allow the most accurate distribution of the fluid productonto the nail surface or, in the particular case of a drug, even onlyalong its contour, the prior art brushes are generally composed of aplurality of bristles seamed inside a joining stem to the cover.Examples of such brushes are disclosed in JP2000270927, JP11244040,EP0379692, JP10295440, EP1050235, CN1257679, JP9252836, JP6014812, U.S.Pat. No. 4,998,315. Such known brushes however has still some problems:in fact, they do not guarantee enough regularity and autonomy indispensing the product, compelling a user to immerse it many times intobottle in order to impregnate it with the fluid product even many timesfor the same nail, making the application operation for such productlong and uncomfortable. Moreover, it can happen that, during the bottletransport, the bristles remain bent, making afterwards the accurateproduct application still less practical if not ultimately impossible.

Moreover, generally, the brush is connected to the screwable cover, byinterposing the stem, due to an undercut snap-type hook or by screwing:examples of such connections are also disclosed in GB918901, EP1733644,EP2123187, EP1504691, DE10229693, U.S. 2002090249, WO8804148. Suchcoupling solution however has till the problem that the sealing conearranged around the stem gets glued onto the bottle neck, detaching thebrush from the cover when this latter one is unscrewed.

Documents U.S.-A1-2011/170936, DE-C1-40 30 382 e U.S.-A1-2006/185107disclose brushes according to the preamble of claim 1.

Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problemsby providing an improved nailbrush in which the traditional bristles arereplaced by plastic flexible blades.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an improvednailbrush in which the accidental bending of the blades is prevented, inparticular during its transport.

Another object of the present invention is providing an improvednailbrush that improves distribution regularity and autonomy of theproduct on a nail with respect to what is proposed by the prior art.

Moreover, an object of the present invention is providing an improvednailbrush equipped with a coupling with the screwable cover of itsrelated bottle that prevents its accidental detachment when unscrewingthis latter one.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as willappear from the following description, are obtained with an improvednailbrush as claimed in claim 1.

Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the presentinvention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is clear that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the presentdescription.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations andmodifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements andparts with equivalent functionality) could be made to what is described,without departing from the scope of the invention, as appears from theenclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferredembodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with referenceto the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 a shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of theimproved nailbrush according to the present invention;

FIG. 1 b shows an enlarged view of a detail of the improved nailbrushaccording to the present invention contained in circle A in FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 a shows a side sectional view of the improved nailbrush of FIG. 1a;

FIG. 2 b shows an enlarged view of a detail of the improved nailbrushaccording to the present invention contained in circle B in FIG. 2 a;

FIG. 2 c shows a plan view of the improved nailbrush of FIG. 2 b;

FIG. 3 a shows a side sectional view of the improved nailbrush accordingto the present invention connected to a screwable cover;

FIG. 3 b shows an enlarged view of a detail of the improved nailbrushaccording to the present invention contained in box B in FIG. 3 a; and

FIG. 4 shows a plant sectional view of the coupling of FIG. 3 a betweenthe brush according to the present invention and the screwable cover.

With reference to the Figures, it is possible to note that the brush 1,in particular for applying on nails fluid products such as drugs orcosmetics, comprises at least one plurality of flexible blades 3, suchblades 3 of a first plurality being mutually radially arranged along atleast one first circular perimeter (like the one, shown in FIG. 2 c,enclosed in the first circular crown C′ defined by the related dashedcircles), such blades 3 being radially surrounded by at least oneperimeter containing rib 5: it can be noted how, advantageously, thepresence of the perimeter containing rib 5 keeps the blades 3 straightand mutually aligned, preventing, contrary to what happens in prior artbrushes, the accidental bending of the blades 3 themselves, inparticular during the transport of their related bottle.

Preferably, such perimeter containing rib 5 is circular, annular andarranged externally to such first circular perimeter of such blades 3:in particular, such perimeter containing rib 5 is coaxial with suchfirst circular perimeter of such blades 3.

Preferably, such blades 3 are, in their rest position, substantiallyrectilinear and parallel to a longitudinal axis R-R of such brush 1.Similarly, such first circular perimeter C′ and such perimetercontaining rib 5 are coaxial with such longitudinal axis R-R.

Advantageously, the brush 1 according to the present invention comprisesat least one second plurality of such blades 3, such blades 3 beingradially arranged along at least one second circular perimeter (like theone shown, in detail, in FIG. 2 c enclosed in the second circular crownC″ defined by the related dashed circles): preferably, such secondcircular perimeter C″ is internal and concentric to the first circularperimeter C′.

Similarly to what is described above, also such second circularperimeter C″ is preferably coaxial with such longitudinal axis R-R.

Obviously, the interspaces occurring between the blades 3 are used,similarly to what occurs with traditional brushes with bristles, as tankfor keeping the fluid product to be dispensed, such tank obviouslyhaving sizes that are substantially greater than those defined by theinterspaces occurring between the many bristles known, and thereforebeing adapted to guarantee better regularity and autonomy whendispensing the product and to allow the user to dip the brush 1according to the present invention less times in a bottle to dispense asame amount of fluid product.

Obviously, each one of such blades 3 can be made of any suitablematerial adequate for this purpose, such as for example a plasticmaterial, having enough flexibility.

Preferably, in order to fafilitate the application accuracy of the fluidproduct on a nail, each one of such blades 3 has its own free end 3′having a tapered and beleved shape.

Moreover, the brush 1 according to the present invention is connected toa connecting base 7 for a screwable cover 9 for closing a bottle (notshown) containing the fluid product, possibly by interposing at leastone stem 11.

In particular, such base 7 is equipped, on its perimeter and externally,with a plurality of first radially arranged engaging teeth 13 and suchscrewable cover 9 is equipped with at least one seat 8 for insertingsuch base 7, such seat 8 being equipped on its perimeter with a shapecorresponding to the shape of such base 7. Consequently, such seat 8 isequipped, on its perimeter and internally, with a plurality of secondradially arranged engaging teeth 15 having complementary shapes to suchfirst engaging teeth 13. Still more preferably, such first 13 and secondengaging teeth are made with a profile with sawteeth arranged withdifferent orientations: in particular, the slanted side of the sawteethprofile of the first engaging teeth 13 is oriented in an oppositedirection with respect to the unscrewing direction V of the screwablecover 9 of the bottle, in such a way as to prevent uncoupling anddetaching between base 7 and seat 8, and consequently between brush 1and cover 9, also in case of gluing of the sealing cone 16 arrangedaround the stem 11 to the bottle neck.

Moreover, in order to prevent the base 7 from being withdrawn from theseat 8, such base 7 and such seat 8 can be engaged one inside the otherby interposing interference-type connecting means: in particular, suchmeans can comprise at least one rib 17 arranged on its perimeter aroundsuch seat 8 and at least one corresponding groove 19 arranged on itsperimeter around such base 7, such groove 19 being adapted to housetherein such rib 17.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A brush for applying fluid products on nails suchas drugs or cosmetics, comprising a first plurality of flexible blades,the blades of the first plurality being mutually radially arranged alongat least one first circular perimeter, wherein the blades are radiallysurrounded by at least one perimeter ring-shaped rib placed next to theend of the blades in contact with the fluid products.
 14. The brush ofclaim 13, wherein the perimeter ring-shaped rib is circular, annular andarranged externally to the first circular perimeter of the blades. 15.The brush of claim 13, wherein the perimeter ring-shaped rib is coaxialwith the first circular perimeter of the blades.
 16. The brush of claim13, wherein the blades are, in their rest position, substantiallyrectilinear and parallel with a longitudinal axis of the brush and thefirst circular perimeter and the perimeter ring-shaped rib are coaxialwith the longitudinal axis.
 17. The brush of claim 13, comprising atleast one second plurality of blades, the blades of the second pluralitybeing radially arranged along at least one second circular perimeter.18. The brush of claim 17, wherein the second circular perimeter isinternal and concentric to the first circular perimeter.
 19. The brushof claim 13, wherein each one of the blades has its own free end havinga tapered or beveled shape.
 20. The brush of claim 13, furthercomprising a connecting base, the connecting base allowing a connectionto a screwable cover for closing a bottle containing the fluid product,possibly by interposing at least one stem.
 21. The brush of claim 20,wherein the base is equipped, on its perimeter and externally, with aplurality of first engaging teeth which are radially arranged, andwherein the screwable cover is equipped with at least one seat forinserting the base, the seat being equipped, on its perimeter andinternally, with a plurality of second engaging teeth which are radiallyarranged, having complementary shapes to the first engaging teeth. 22.The brush of claim 21, wherein the first and the second engaging teethare made as a profile with sawteeth arranged with opposite orientations,a slanted side of the sawteeth profile of the first engaging teeth beingoriented in an opposite direction with respect to an unscrewingdirection of the screwable cover.
 23. The brush of claim 21, wherein thebase and the seat are engaged one into the other by interposinginterference-type connecting means.
 24. The brush of claim 23, whereinthe connecting means comprise at least one rib arranged on its perimeteraround the seat and at least one corresponding groove arranged on itsperimeter around the base, the groove being adapted to house therein therib.